Tidbits & Insights

Book of Mormon YouTube VideosHere are the Book of Mormon videos I have been producing for You Tube. Enjoy.
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=TheBackyardProfessor

Lot and his wife in the Bible........JAMES (age 4) was listening to a Bible story. His dad read: 'The man named Lot was warned to take his wife and flee out of the city but his wife looked back and was turn ed to salt.' Concerned, James asked: 'What happened to the flea?'

We are but dust..........The Sermon I think this Mom will never forget.... this particular Sunday sermon...
'Dear Lord,' the minister began, with arms extend ed toward heaven and a rapturous look on his up turned face.
'Without you, we are but dust...'
He would have continued but at that moment my very obedient daughter who was listening leaned over to me and asked quite audibly in her shrill little four year old girl voice,
'Mom, what is butt dust?'

Kerry Shirts author: Mormon Times links to the Internet School of the Prophets - I was just notified that the "Mormon Times" has linked to our Internet School of the Prophets showing we are serious about studying Hebrew and recognizing the great Spiritual heritage of Judaism, our Brothers and Sisters in Israel. This is very nice to be specified as the best blog for today. Here's the link.
http://mormontimes.com/ME_blogs.php?todayBlog=1

Interesting websites

Slavonic PseudepigraphaAndrei Orlov's new website of Slavonic (Russian) Pseudepigrapha. A MUST READ. The finest, and so far as I am aware, the first collection of Russian sources and Pseudepgraphic collection of primary documents and texts.

Mormon MysticismThe place to go for respectful, intelligent, insightful, and inter-religious discussion of the mystic dimensions in religion, with an emphasis on Mormonism, of course, since it is "Mormon Mysticism"...

Middle Eastern Texts InitiativeDr. Daniel C. Peterson, Managing Editor of the Middle Eastern Texts Initiative. Link to the available texts, as well as texts coming out soon. Here are Dr. Peterson's classes he teaches as well.
http://asiane.byu.edu/arabic/index.php?content=people/peterson

Margaret Barker's ResearchThe website to get to the source herself, and help you understand her paradigm of the Bible and First Temple Judaism. One of the most important new insightful Bible scholars in the field over the last decade.

Great Books

Did God Have a Wife?: William G. DeverDever, one of the world's most renowned archaeologists has finally asked the BIG question, and his research, archaeology, and scholarship have come up with the most stunning answer. Yes, God was married!
His analysis of the folk religion, and how the common folk worshipped was one of the powerful aspects of this book, the stuff that never made it into the Bible, yet is reflected in the archaeology of the people in the countryside. This is archaeology at its level-headed best.
A very shocking book, as well as revealing for his amazingly coherent, and provocative challenges, and answers to the nay-sayers of Asherah being God's wife.
I highly recommend it. (*****)

Giorgio Santillana, Hertha von Dechend: Hamlet's MillThis is not the easiest book to read or understand, but it is by far one of the most influential ones I own for the sheer power of generating ideas and themes to research and write on. It is archeoastronomy detective work like no other text. Scholarly, erudite, difficult, astounding, breath-taking. I also rate this one as one of those books in my all time favorite top 10.
I know others have not found their overall thesis convincing, but archeoastronomy is indepted to this book for having a serious start, and it has also come a long way since, especially with John Major Jenkins work on "Maya Cosmogenesis 2012" and "The Galactic Alignment."
Archeoastronomy became a hobby of mine directly because of this book. I highly recommend it. It was reprinted for the 3rd time in 1992, and well worth shelling out the dough for it. (*****)

Hugh Nibley: The Message of the Joseph Smith PapyriThis 2nd edition has been enlarged, updated, totally checked footnotes for accuracy of quotes and use of sources, all new pictures and more than what the original edition had, and all footnotes put at the bottom of the page for easier reading.
John Gee, the LDS Egyptologist at BYU/FARMS (Now the Neal A. Maxwell Institute) spent 17 years checking the accuracy of every single quote and deserves our accolades and congratulations. So does FARMS for putting back all the materials that were supposed to be originally in here. It has gone from a 270 page text to over 600. It is a magnificent tome, very useful indexes, much nicer to read and understand, and is one of my all time favorite top 10 books. (*****)

Jason Lotterhand: The Thursday Night TarotIn his down to earth style and humor, Lotterhand opens up the world of the Tarot symbolisms and what they can mean for us in our every day to day lives. Without stuffy erudition, nor with New Age silliness, Lotterhand goes through the Major Arcana of the Tarot Cards and analyzes their interpretations as he understands things. You can't help but come away from this book feeling good. This is the collection of his classes he has taught for years and years, including questions from many of his students and his responses.
I have read it many times, and will continue reading it as a perfect introduction as to what the Tarot symbolisms and use really means, not what phony prognosticators of the New Age Movement have hijacked the Tarot to mean. Their use of it is an "adulterated use" to quote Paul Foster Case, another of the true Tarot interpreter geniuses.
The overall view of the Tarot following Lotterhand's interpretation is one of love.... love for God, our fellowman, as well as for ourselves. That Tarot has nothing at all in any form to do with Satan worship, devil loving wickdness, and magic is more than proven by Lotterhand's scholarship in this fascinating area. I highly and strongly recommend this cure for the disease of understanding Tarot as an evil Devil inspired system. (*****)

John W. Welch, David & JoAnn Seely, editors: Glimpses of Lehi's JerusalemThe most complete, insightful look into Jerusalem as she existed in 600 B.C. just before the Babylonian captivity. It analyzes and looks into the social life, economic, political, physical, spiritual, archaeological, and in every way possible to understand what life was like for Lehi as a parent, and Nephi as a child.
The updating of the Lachish Letters, of the reform of King Josiah, the Rechabites, International affairs occurring, Egyptian connections, etc., is powerfully transforming our understanding on the very real background and pathbreaking work that the FARMS group (now called the Neal A. Maxwell Institute) is performing on all aspects of the LDS scriptures, culture, doctrine, and history.
A most delightful read! (****)

Kevin Townley: The Cube of SpaceThis book (Archive Press, 1993) is the singular most comprehensive description, discussion, meditation, and writing of the Sefer Yetzirah's description of the Cube of Space in existence. Townley has written a book like no other, although his followup book "Meditations on the Cube of Space" (Archer Books, 2003) is also in-depth and provocative.
David Allen Hulse's book "New Dimensions for the Cube of Space," Samuel Weiser, 2000) is a simpler guide, with different developments, discussions and assignments for the Tarot Card symbolisms on the cube however.
Townley has discussed every single available notion of the cube, its symbolisms, significance, and interest in both the Jewish Kabbalistic texts, as well as for us in our modern meditations for further understanding of the cosmos. His two books are nothing less than a tour de force, which gives years of pleasant reading. (****)

Leonora Leet: The Secret Doctrine of the KabbalahThis book just simply stunned me. It is one of the most fascinating analysis of Sacred Geometry and modern Quantum Physics along with a detailed discovery after discover after discovery of the Jewish religious system called Kabbalah.
Leet's geometric charts make the book even easier to understand, but the depth of her cogent reasoning concerning the cosmos, geometry, and music is a sight to behold.
Her follow up book "The Universal Kabbalah" is quite interesting in the first few chapters and then bogs my mind down with so much detail and analysis that it is far over my head, though I am working on deciphering it.
Leet spent over 20 years analyzing and writing about her discoveries. The most significant one concerns the Kabbalah Tree of Life diagram which is remarkably elucidated by Leet, both in the historical aspects of its changes, as well as the reasons why it is the shape and form that it is, and the meaning of sacred geometrical extensions of the already existing lines of the Tree of Life.
A most significant contribution, not only to my own understanding of Kabbalah and Geometry, but for my own enthusiasm of learning more about the Kabbalah (****)

Margaret Barker: The Great High PriestWith her astonishing range of scholarship and working with ancient archaeological and linguistic data, Barker has changed our understanding of the ancient Hebraic Priesthood as well as religion. This book is a milestone. (*****)

Menas Kafatos, Robert Nadeau: The Conscious UniverseThe Quantum Physics notion of Complementarity (two particles being connected, no matter how far apart they are in the universe), as well as understanding how the part relates to the whole is what is explored in this gem of a little book.
This is no spiritual guru linking of science and religion together by mis-representing one or the other or both of the disciplines, but a sober, real look into the ideas of consciousness, and how Quantum Physics has come around to recognizing the universal aspect of consciousness in *all things*. An amazing book, quite technically written, but with amazing conclusions. The main conclusion being that consciousness can no longer be separated from the problem of the way science operates. (****)

Robert Eisenman: The New Testament CodeAgain, with his impeccible schoalrship and thirst for detail Eisenman extends his analysis and evidence for a First Century Early Christian provenance for the Dead Sea Scrolls using the internal materials of the scrolls themselves, their literary usages, their dramatis personae, and their descriptions of what sins abound with the wicked foreign leaders, which can only possibly apply to the Herodians.
I wish Eisenman's writing style was easier however. For this reason I can't give it a 5 star rating. His information is astonishingly useful however, and rather controversial, my kind of book! (****)

Tree of Souls: The Mythology of Judaism: Howard SchwartzMagnaminous! This compilation from all periods of Jewish mythology, using hundreds, if not thousands of the texts, shows without doubt or question that there was a Jewish mythology, and its power of presentation for relevance is unsurpassed in all of mythology.
From the Creation, the the Shekhinah as the wife of God, to Israel's woes, and successes, this detailed, and humorous, insightful, powerful book has so much in it from the lives of the Patriarchs, the prophets, and the rabbis, that it will take many months to read all the way through it. I have referenced it several times, and spent not a few very delightful evenings (even rainy days) browsing through its pages, and the excellent scholarly discussions by Schwarts itself placing things in context. This is a book I turn to again and again and again with new "Aha!" insights from every single page. (*****)

January 10, 2011

Here is some stuff I put together several years ago, regarding the 'royal we', as well as the meaning of Gen. 1. 26-7:

James White refused to deal with the subject of LDS thought and the early Christian concept of deification. He stated that the Latter-day Saint concept of deity was not remotely similar to that taught in the early Church, and consequently deification could have no resemblance to the LDS concept of exaltation. Therefore, something needs to be said regarding the nature of deity as it was taught in the early Church. A good beginning can be had by examining what the Church Fathers had to say about Genesis 1.26 (‘Let us make man in our image’). Gerald Bray, British evangelical scholar, has recently discussed at some length this statement, suggesting that an “awkward question is raised by [its] use of the plural…implying as it does that man, as the image of God, somehow reflects a plurality in God. Here, there is no unanimity among interpreters. All are agreed that the Israelite God is One, and that the use of the plural here cannot imply polytheism.”[1] He says that it is “more probable…that God is here speaking to the heavenly hosts, though this raises such questions as … whether angels took part in the work of man’s creation.” After citing Ps 8.5-6 (‘God made man a little lower than the angels’, which is quoted

January 04, 2011

From my good friend Mike Parker, who has analyzed D&C 77 supposedly teaching a mere 7,000 year old earth. As usual and always, Mike has some excellent insights into things that are worth understanding. I post this with his kind permission. Thanks Mike, this deserves to be understood better.

D&C 77 a) This section is a prophetic explanation some of symbolism in the Revelation of John in the New Testament.

i) This book is an example of a type of Biblical literature known as an apocalypse. This word is borrowed almost directly from Greek (apocalupsis), where it means “revelation” in the sense of uncovering or unveiling something that is hidden.

(1) Other apocalypses in the scriptures include portions of Ezekiel and Daniel, as well as the visions of Lehi and Nephi.

After healing the ten lepers, Luke then presents (17:20-21) the Pharisees as questioning Jesus about when the Kingdom of God would come. Jesus’ response is interesting because he tries to show them their expectations are inaccurate in how they perceive what is to happen. The discussion of the meaning of the Greek statement βασιλεία τοῦ θεοῦ ἐντὸς ὑμῶν ἐστιν – ‘‘The Kingdom of God is within you,’’ in biblical scholarship circles is fascinating. It is ambiguous and various interpretations give shades of meanings that teach us a very important lesson. Based on syntactical, linguistic, and grammatical considerations, there is simply no one single correct way to interpret this statement. Dogmatism has to be laid aside with the realization that the Bible itself is never clearly one sided and simple in its meaning. Nor is there always a single correct interpretation and meaning. It isn’t the fault of the scholars, it is the very nature of the way Greek is constructed (and recorded as well as written by the ancient authors styles and choices of expression!) and how it can legitimately be translated into various ways, perfectly logic and coherent, and yet sometimes arriving at contradictory readings and meanings. ‘‘Ernst Kasemann argues that such theological variety in the early church is ‘so wide even in the New Testament that we are compelled to admit the existence not merely of significant tensions, but, not infrequently, of irreconciliable theological contradictions.’ Krister Stendahl agrees that such differences cannot and should not be resolved through clever exegesis because ‘when they are overcome by harmonization, the very points intended by the writers are dulled and distorted.’’’[1]

January 01, 2011

ἐμβριμαομαι αυτω: Was Jesus Really “Snorting Angry,” With the Leper in Mark 1:43-44 After Healing Him?

Kerry A. Shirts, MM, 32°, CM, RAM, KT

Eagle Rock Lodge #19

Idaho Falls, Idaho

January 1, 2011

When we begin reading the Gospel of Mark, we soon run into the story of Jesus healing the leper (after he had healed many at Simon Peter’s Mother-in-law’s house – vss. 30-34), and Jesus says to him after he heals him - Και εμβριμησαμενος αυτω ευθεως εξεβαλεν αυτον – “And having strictly charge him, immediately he sent him away. ”

The Greek brings up something that is not grasped at all in the English translations. Kenneth Wuest noted the verb in the phrase “He straightly charged him,” “is embrimaomai (ἐμβριμαομαι) from brimaomai (βριμαομαι) “to be moved with anger.” The word Mark uses means “to snort,” and was used of horses. In the classics it meant “to be very angry, to be moved with indignation.”[1] Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer described this scene, based on the Greek as “After he had been angry at him, wrathfully addressing him… we are to conceive of a vehement begone now! Away hence! With this is connected also the forcible εξεβαλεν (exebalen – [KAS notes – from the verb ἐκβάλλω (ekballō) meaning “to throw out,”

December 28, 2010

πάντα δὲ δοκιμάζετε, τὸ καλὸν κατέχετε – Prove All Things, Hold Fast That Which is Good: Part 2 - Refutation of a Popular Atheist Credo

Kerry A. Shirts. MM, 32°, CM, RAM, KT

Ritualist/Education Officer

Eagle Rock Lodge # 19

Idaho Falls, Idaho

December 28. 2010

By doing a little browsing through the Bible, we can find all sorts of ideas which sometimes take us by complete surprise. A popularized Atheist Credo I have been told by atheists is that we Bible believers are taught not to think, but simply accept what we are told. I simply do not find that concept in the Bible. The exact opposite intellectual paradigm is actually presented to us to consider.

πάντα δὲ δοκιμάζετε, τὸ καλὸν κατέχετε – Prove All Things, Hold Fast That Which is Good is found in 1 Thessalonians 5:21. This entire discourse is given by Paul to keep the people in readiness and not get caught off guard. The exhortation to be sober in vss. 6 and 8 is the Greek word νήφω nēphōhaving the sense of sober watchfulness, while at 2 Timothy 4:5 we read: σὺ δὲ νῆφε ἐν πᾶσιν, “you, however, show sound judgment in all things.” Actually, the verb is always found with exhortations. Verse 11 reads, in part, the necessity of “edifying” one another. The Greek verb here is οἰκοδομέω (oikodomeō) which is used of building houses, with the idea of “building up” or “to make more able.” Paul, when talking to the Ephesians declared they were to be δοκιμάζοντες τί ἐστιν εὐάρεστον τῷ κυρίῳ - “proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.” The verb δοκιμάζω (dokimazō) is in the present active meaning there is no assessment of the action’s completion. It means to regard something as genuine or worthy on the basis of testing—to judge to be genuine, to judge as good, to approve. δοκιμάζοντες is the plural because it is spoken to the entire group of the Ephesians. Larkin notes that “the participle could indicate the process of critical examination to determine genuineness, (Philippians 1:10) but more likely points to a response to the result of the investigation” – ‘to draw a conclusion about worth on the basis of testing, prove, approve.’[1]

The texts which I will exercise rigorous hermeneutical, exegetical, historical, and theological analysis are, for the most part, going to be 1 Peter 1:13 (hence the title of my paper) and Philippians 1:9-11. Investigating the Greek grammar, semantic range of meanings for words, exegetical and hermeneutic interpretations shed a great amount of light on the meaning of many biblical verses that are either misunderstood, mistranslated, or simply ignored.

The popularized atheist credo which the title of my paper alludes to is the general idea that we Christians are basically too stupid to critically think. Our belief in the Bible is misguided because it teaches us, in a nutshell, to simply sit down, shut up and accept our beliefs with “blind faith”which have no evidence. Never think critically for ourselves, but simply accept what our pastors, bishops or other church leaders teach from the pulpit. We don’t have the intellectual capacity to be “objective,” “scientific,” or even “realistic,” because the Bible proclaims that we are to accept things using “blind faith.” We can’t prove anything we believe in because we are taught not to think, but only believe and be naïve, both intellectually and realistically. The Bible programs us for dumb belief and to live in blind faith, hence we are brain washed stupid.

Granted the charges against us are emotionally laden, however, a close look at what the Bible actually does teach demonstrates that the atheist paradigm concerning our Christian intellect is itself terribly naïve and subjective, and worse still, completely wrong. Lets take a more careful look at what the Bible actually does say and teach, not relying merely on English translations, which miss the force of the Greek, but exploring the Greek meaning itself. The question is, just what does the Bible teach us about how to use our brains? Are we truly to simply shut up, sit down, and accept everything that is told without ever thinking for ourselves? Are we taught in the Bible to ignore the intellect and simply believe? This is what I will investigate in this paper.

December 18, 2010

My Word I’m “Bad”! No, Really… MY Word Can Make Me “Bad”

Kerry A. Shirts, MM, 32°, RAM CM, RAM

Ritualist/Education Officer of Eagle Rock Lodge # 19

Idaho Falls, Idaho

December 18, 2010

I owe the entire impetus to this exegetical research paper to a nifty book I own by George H. Guthrie, J. Scott Duvall, Biblical Greek Exegesis, Zondervan Publishing, 1998. Their idea and research is simplified in order to teach a student how to use a concordance, lexicon, and Bible dictionaries and commentaries, so their research is not meant to be as in-depth as I am going to go into. Their approach was delightful and I will expand on it. It is a message for all of us, no matter what our stations in life, Freemasons, Jews, Christians, etc. I have especially Freemasons in mind, but the application of this practical and interesting advice from one of the volumes of our Sacred Law, the Bible, is useable and seriously necessary for everyone of any walk in life to “get in your gut,” so to speak.

It is important to realize that words change meaning through time. Words also can have both a central meaning as well as peripheral meanings.[1] Kenneth Wuest put it quite accurately:

November 27, 2010

My good friend and fellow LDS researcher/scholar Ben McGuire has yet again written a profound response to a very good question which we Christians run across from time to time. McGuire's response is seriously thoughtful, and powerfully discussed. Well worth the reading! Thanks Ben for allowing me to post this!

The Question is:

I recently came across a video presentation courtesy of my ex wife

called zietgiest (one and two) which talks// shows parallels of saviour figures

To the Jews "the gates of hell" meant something very specific. Both Jews and Christians thought of the world of the dead as a prison—carcer, phylake, phroura—in which the dead were detained but not necessarily

November 26, 2010

UPDATED already! In just 2 hours, I thought of something else that ties in well with this Logos theme from the Old Testament... I include the update at the end of the article. I suspect there is an enormous amount of parallels, themes, and commonalities everywhere if one looks. I will do so as I can.In reading through several of my Greek lexicons for pure pleasure, I am finding an absolute wealth of information that I shall share as I can. For now here is something on the Logos of John 1:1 and the idea of the Greek word πρὸς (pros) meaning in general "with" someone or something.

1. The Meaning. It is the same as προτί (proti) and ποτί (poti). The root-idea is ‘near,’ ‘near by,’ according to Delbrück, though Brugmann inclines to the meaning ‘towards.’ In Homer πρός has an

November 14, 2010

I emphasize the research is for Freemasons, because so many of them don't have access to this kind of information, but in reality it is for everyone. Here is a new paper I have compiled concerning the Greek lexical and exegetic analysis of Jesus' statement in the Sermon on the Mount, "Blessed are the Peacemakers."

May 21, 2010

Just for ONE day, I have challenged us to say NOTHING but *NICE* comments to EVERYONE you bump into or see who looks at you. Find something...ANYTHING to say something uplifting, nice, and be sincere. FIND something good in ALL people you interact with in one day. Then do it again and again. After a mere week, watch the MAGIC come alive. I promise. I promise, PROMISE, ***PROMISE*** it will change lives, not just your own.

What if absolutely everyone in our world would do this. Once. Then once more, then once more, for just 3 mere days? What would happen? Yes, I am just one mere person of billions, but I AM ONE, and I CAN BEGIN SOMETHING LIKE THIS......... what if only 10 people take this up? 100? 1,000? 500,000? See what I am leading to?

May 16, 2010

The Freemason All Seeing Eye & The Egyptian Eye of Horus:
Seeing the Light

Kerry A. Shirts, 32°

Eagle Rock Lodge #19

Idaho Falls, Idaho

May 16, 2010

The “All-Seeing Eye” in Freemasonry has the intention, the
guided meaning for us that “all the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord,
and he pondereth all his goings; that the eyes of the Lord are in every place
beholding the evil and the good, and especially upon them that fear him and
hope in his mercy.”[1] Sir Lionel Brett claimed that “the concept of an
all-seeing deity goes back at least to Euripides, 5th century B.C..
The phrase was proverbial.”[2] And, of course, as a symbol, not to mention the
actual reality, the eye is the most important sense we possess, since it is
through the eye we receive light, the most significant goal of Freemasonry. “In
the symbolism of Freemasonry, the ‘all-seeing eye’ in the triangle and
surrounded by sunbeams appears in many lodges over the master’s chair, a
reminder of the wisdom of the Creator, the “Great Master Builder of All
Worlds,” penetrates all secrets; the eye is in some contexts also called the
‘eye of providence.’”[3] These ideas resonate in the ancient Egyptian concept
of the Wedjat eye, also called “The Eye of Horus.”

Rather than worrying about tracing the origin of the concept
or the actual time the phrase was first used, or when it was adopted into
Freemasonry, I will share some themes from the ancient Egyptian concept of the
“Eye of Horus,” and it’s meanings, themes, and contents in the ancient Egyptian
rites.

May 10, 2010

In the “Transactions” of the Idaho Lodge of Research No.
1965, Vol. 28/2 (Oct. 2006), an article “Compass – Set at 60 Degree Angle” by
Jack L. Abrams, PM, (as originally found in the 2006 Trestle Board of Ionic
Composite Lodge No. 520, in Fraternal Review of the Southern California Lodge
of Research) appeared on pp. 11-12, discussing the compass and its 60 degree
angle. Why is it set at 60 degrees?

“The reason is the equilateral triangle has always been
sacred.” [1] The sum of all angles of a triangle is of course 180 degrees.
Divide by 3 and we get 60 degrees. “The compass thus set at 60 degrees alludes
to the equilateral triangle and if the two points were united in a straight
line, it would form one.” And, further, a compass set at 60 degrees can exactly
make 6 points on a circle, dividing the circle into 6 equal parts. “The points,
thus made, with the one in the center, constitute the mystic number seven.”[2]

May 09, 2010

We can no more show a direct line of descent from the
ancient Egyptian rites than we can those of Eluseus, Mithraism, Judaism, or
Early Christianity. In reading the ancient literatures in all their vastness,
however, some parallels are just too good not to at least take notice. Not that
the meanings scholarship ascribes to many of the ancient mysteries are the
meanings which today’s Masonry adapts, interprets, or even accepts, but the
parallels are quite striking, in a general sense. Knowing the parallels gives
me impetus to command the Masonic literature, the meanings of the rituals and
ceremonies, to strive for greater comprehension, understanding, and appreciation
for what we do have right now today. That is the spirit in which I share these
notes. It is to the LDS scholarship of Hugh W. Nibley whom I read steadily, and
have done so through several decades, (19 volumes averaging almost 500 pages
each in the Collected Works of Hugh W. Nibley so far) which I use to note the
parallels. Masonry was not on Nibley’s mind, the LDS temple and parallels to
the Egyptian rites were the context he labored so diligently and wonderfully
on. It is a wonderful side benefit that Masonic parallels are also possible to
view here. In all three traditions, the temple is core to the rites. Therefore,
I make no apology for noting themes of interest to the LDS and Masons, because
whatever understanding we may attain to the temple, its philosophy, history,
and meaning, is designed to get us into the eternites. I shall leave a few
short notes, summations, and themes which I have found, not even pretending to
exhaust this amazing information. I will write more on these themes as time
permits me.

The Egyptian Book of Breathings is at the end of a long
Egyptian evolution of literature stretching back

May 01, 2010

No feature of Solomon’s Temple has had more commentary than
the two pillars flanking the front entrance of Solomon’s Temple. But what do
they mean? I won’t discuss all facets of them in this paper, but will work with
the historical and etymological meanings of the names, and some other features
in the discussions of the scholarship on the Ancient Near Eastern temples. And
in the legends of our Craft, I will touch on a few items of interest to Masons
concerning the pillars, the symbolisms as I understand them within Masonry. As
always, the interpretations, research, meanings, and understandings I present
here, are strictly my own, not to be construed as “the” meaning for the pillars
in Masonry. Freemasonry has no dogma, nor any book which all Masons must
conform to in order to understand “correct doctrine.”[1]

But a little background never hurts, so I take a page to
show the historical and archaeological discoveries that shed light on the
temple.

One the most recent studies covering an enormous amount of
ground on Solomon’s Temple says “Solomon’s Temple is part of a common
temple-building tradition in Syria and Canaan, indeed, in terms of form and ornamentation,
Solomon’s Temple could be considered quite typical of the region. The closest
surviving parallels to Solomon’s Temple are found in northern Syria at the
temples of Tell Tayinat and Ain

April 30, 2010

Reading a new and very impressive book by Arturo De Hoyos, R. Brent Morris, "Is it True What They Say About Freemasonry?", M. Evans, 2010 (269 pp). This book is stellar research, and devastating refutations of the insipidly inane anti-Masonic arguments, innuendos, and deliberate lying. A very POWERFUL contribution for ALL Masons to read, learn from, and see the *real* truths about Masonry. I am almost half way through it, and already have learned so very much, which I will be reviewing in detail. The authors are to be congratulated for destroying the stupidity of anti-Masonry.

Many topics such as the fraud of Leo Taxil saying Albert Pike taught upper degrees of Masonry teach the worship of Satan, that Masons do not regard the Bible as important, that Masonry is simply pagan, Masonry as anti-religious, etc. I will bring out the many details in this stunning tour de force of very strong, very logical, and stellar research decimating the anti-Masons, once I complete my reading of it. Simply a MUST OWN, and MUST READ book. I will write up a serious review of this here once I finish it.

The astonishing parallels with anti-Mormonism and Anti-Masonry is something else I am going to write about. Even down to the exact same authors who are both anti Mormon,/Mason, and the exact same strategies, and types of lies. De Hoyos and Morris destroy the anti-Masons. The deliberately stupid ones like Decker, Scnoebelen (sp?, yeah, I really don't care that much whether I get it right or not), etc.